


Rest and Recuperation

by Akinasky



Series: SterekBingo 2019 [21]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Directly follows the Alpha/Emissary Gathering story, Family time, Going to the Lake House, Lydia lends them her family Lake House, M/M, Mentions of the child trauma from the previous fic, Sterek Bingo, Sterek Bingo 2019, sblake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 17:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19044721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akinasky/pseuds/Akinasky
Summary: Stiles and Derek take the twins and Ralston to the Martin Lake house after the events of the Alpha/Emissary Gathering.





	Rest and Recuperation

**Author's Note:**

> Sterek Bingo Prompt: The Lake

“Thanks again Lyds, we needed this more than you could possibly know,” Stiles said on the phone as they walked through the front doors of the Martin’s lake house. “I promise that I will keep the kids from destroying too much. I mean anything, but seriously my sister from another family; they are children.”

Stiles laughed at Lydia’s response as Derek put down the baby carrier and nudge the twins farther into the foyer of the place. Stiles finally convinced Lydia that he was going to hang up on him as Claudia finally walked in with a couple of small suitcases. There was more in the car but Derek motioned for everyone to come in and sit down.

Stiles and Claudia got comfy on the couch with each of the twins on their laps while Derek took Ralston out of the carrier and held him close. They were going to be changing him soon but for now he was sleepily nuzzling into Derek’s chest and sighing happily. Derek pressed a hand to their son’s diapered butt and another to his back and his neck.

“I know that we all went through some hard stuff a couple weeks ago but we are here together to make sure that we remember the most important thing: we are all alive and together, none of our pack were killed by those awful people and they can’t hurt you anymore.”

Ana and Matteo both nodded but they were still so quiet, like they had been since they were kidnapped by alphas at a Gathering. Ralston seemed to be doing okay but with the forcing out of his werewolf gene, he’d been clingy ever since and Stiles and Derek hadn’t slept alone. Not that Derek was upset about that, really, he didn’t care how inconvenient it might have been for them, if closeness made any of their children feel safe again then that’s what he was going to do.

“Did you guys want to go play in the lake?” Stiles asked the kids.

Ana and Matteo nodded and Claudia helped them up to get changed. Derek sat down with Stiles and snuggled close to his husband, “The lake is safe right? Nothing weird in there?”

Stiles shrugged, “We’ve been coming here off and on for years and despite the Beacon Hills of it all, there hasn’t ever been any weirdness.”

Derek nodded and grabbed Ralston’s diaper bag so he could change him while the other kids were changing. Stiles helped him so Derek wouldn’t have to go over to the changing table. Claudia and the twins came back down dressed to play in the lake and Derek redressed Ralston and let Stiles go and change into swim trunks then they switched so Derek could change too. It was warm out and even though Ralston wasn’t going to go in the water, Derek wanted to be dressed for it as well.

They all went outside together and headed for the edge of the lake, the twins playing along the edge and Claudia using her powers to warm the lake while Stiles cheered her on.

“I hope you’re not cooking any fish in there,” Derek told them.

“Nah, it’s like Jack O’Neill’s lake, doesn’t have fish in it.”

Derek frowned, “Who’s Jack O’Neill?”

“Stargate Sg1,” Stiles responded as he plunged into the water up to his waist and tried to splash Claudia who screeched and rushed at her Tata. Stiles looked over at Derek, “We watched some of it together, Der, do you not remember?”

Derek shrugged then stepped closer to the water, Ana and Matteo walked closer as well. They were still lethargic but at least they were smiling at their sister and father. Derek pressed a hand to Ana’s head and she smiled up at him.

“Ana, Teo, you want to go into the water?” Stiles asked.

They shook their head in tandem and Derek smiled sadly at his husband, this wasn’t going to be something with a magical solution. Derek knew better than a lot of people that trauma isn’t something that just goes away. Stiles knew that too; he’d held Derek through bad dreams more than once in the past. Stiles played with Claudia for a while and they went inside to get cleaned up and have some lunch.

Derek fed Ralston a bottle and then they settled into the master bedroom and put on a princess movie. Derek and Stiles laid on the outside of the bed and tucked their children in between them to watch the movie. Derek held Ralston on his chest while Stiles ran his fingers through Ana’s hair. They went to sleep pretty quickly and Derek turned to look at Stiles, “You think they are going to be okay?”

Stiles looked down at the twins, “We were there for each other with each and every bad dream and flashback for each other. I hate the idea that they are going to go through that but they don’t have to do it alone.”

Claudia looked at each of them, “You remember when my powers manifested and you had to choose between sending me somewhere to get a handle on them but it meant I couldn’t be with you?”

Stiles snorted, “You mean one of the worst days of my life? Yeah I remember it.”

Derek smiled and pressed a kiss to their daughter’s head.

“You called me every night for the first couple of months just to make sure that I was going to be okay. You threatened one of my teachers when they told you that you couldn’t just drop in when I was having nightmares about burning down the school. I know that it’s not the same as what they went through or are going through but I know that you are going to be whatever they need and if you figure out that you can’t be that then you are going to find someone who can help them. I love you both so much and we are so darn lucky to have you.”

Derek and Stiles both pressed in to kiss her on the head again, “We are so lucky to have you,” Stiles whispered to her.

“All of you,” Derek said.

They all slept together in the same bed that night, and the night after that and the night after that. By the fourth night, Claudia and Ana and Matteo were all sleeping in a queen size bed together in the other guest room but halfway through the night when they woke up screaming about being taken, everyone ended up back in Derek and Stiles’s bed. They spent their days playing Monopoly and card games and Jenga and anything they could find in the house and playing on the lake.

By the seventh day, Ana and Matteo weren’t screaming themselves awake anymore and Derek and Stiles made it through a whole night with just Ralston in bed with them. They praised the twins and the next week when Claudia had to go back to the mansion and her studies, they waved her off with little smiles.

That night, they all slept in the same bed together again and for the first time they spoke up in the darkness. “I don’t want to be sad anymore Daddy,” Matteo said.

“My sweet boy,” Stiles said and curled closer to their son, “Sometimes we just have to feel sad for a little while especially when we get hurt. Daddy and Tata still get sad sometimes about things like my losing my mom.”

“Me losing my family,” Derek interjected because the twins knew about it even though they didn’t know everything.

“But we didn’t lose anyone,” Ana whispered and Ralston fidgeted on Derek’s chest so he leaned over to hand the infant off to Stiles who was thrilled to receive him.

Derek turned on his side and cuddled into his little girl, “Baby, sometimes loss isn’t just about life; sometimes it’s about safety and innocence.”

Ana frowned and Derek smiled and hugged her, “You can be sad for however long you need to be but you know that Tata and I are going to keep doing?”

“Love us?” Matteo murmured.

“Yes,” both of them responded then Derek continued “But also we are going to keep inviting you to be kids and have times when you laugh and play. You don’t have to feel stuck in the sadness all the time. I promise, my sweet loves.”

Ana looked up from where she was curled into his chest, “Can we go for a run in the woods tomorrow?”

Derek smiled, “Of course.”

“Wolf Daddy?” Matteo added and Derek laughed.

“Anything you want.”

Both of the twins smiled and snuggled into the pillows and tried to go to sleep for real. Derek looked over at Stiles who was holding their youngest securely to his side and smiled.

Stiles smiled back, “I love you Mr. Stilinski-Hale.”

“I love you too Mr. Hale-Stilinski,” Derek said with a wink and Stiles rolled his eyes. Derek smiled at his husband and looked down at their children again. Derek was so lucky he had Stiles to help him get through the rough patches and they had each other. In all the times he’d been on his own after the fire, Derek had never imagined he would have this. And he didn’t think he would have allowed himself to have it if it wasn’t for Stiles and that stupid slideshow all those years ago.

Thank goodness Stiles was such an adorable dork, Derek wouldn’t change anything about his life and if someone tried to take his children ever again, he was going to spill even more blood to keep them safe.

That was a promise.

 

 


End file.
